TOWN LOVE is an online art museum dedicated to celebrating the vibrant past and present of Northwest Hip-Hop. You can browse by artist or browse by year.

This gallery page is organized to highlight the creative work of

Artist: Byrdie

As you scroll, items are sorted from most recent to earliest.

A film about Northwest hip-hop from

The People's Choice Mixtape

According to a Bandcamp post by hip hop producer Jewels Hunter, in late 2009 he got a call from his friend Byrdie who had released two influential rap albums, Poetic Epidemic in 2001, and N Flight in 2004. Byrdie explained to Jewels Hunter that he was very ill battling cancer. However, Byrdie really wanted to make a mixtape, so they worked on it during 2010 and finished in the spring of 2011. The result was released by Jewels Hunter in November of 2013, shortly after Byrdie’s passing. The title is The People’s Choice, and the mixtape CD is hosted by DJ Vlad.

“Run This Town” starts the mixtape with dramatic hype. It samples the instantly recognizable Rhianna/Jay Z piano melody from their track of the same name. “I’m Filthy” begins with a highly quotable Biggie vocal sample. Overall, The People’s Choice is well-paced, and has enough variety to keep it from feeling stale. “Ride With Me” is set to the steel-drum twang of “P.I.M.P.” by 50 Cent. According to Byrdie, his career has taken him,“from the sand of Sudan to the shores of Jersey.”

“Smokin & Drinkin” is all about drug dealing and getting high, a departure from the clean cut character which Byrdie portrayed on his 2004 album N Flight. There’s even a shoutout to Bartell’s, a local Seattle “drug” store. “Through It All” is my favorite on the mixtape. He explains that he can’t help but rap. Rhyming is in his blood. “I proved that I could do it, my music is the evidence,” he declares. The only letdown for me on this project is “Get Money,” which feels a bit basic with refrains like, “I just cleaned my fancy car, picked up my fancy clothes.” The lyrics describe traveling the world on rap tours.

Jewels Hunter eulogized Byrdie with fondness and respect, and I recommend that everyone read the whole Bandcamp post about The People’s Choice. “This album also represents a final installment of (Byrdie’s) works as an artist and showcases all aspects of who he was as a human being,” concluded Jewels Hunter. True indeed. Rest in peace Byrdie. Written by Novocaine132

The People's Choice Mixtape was created in and features appearances from:

Did we get it wrong? It happens. Send us an email and let's get it corrected right away!

A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Byrd's Eye View

Byrdie was a unique talent in the Seattle rap scene who was taken from us far too soon. Byrdie got his start in the late 1990s as a gangsta rapper on Street Level Records. He was a member of F.T.S. on their second album Money Motivated, and Byrdie stood out from the nine members of the group as a hard-working rookie with heart and a lot of hustle.

Byrd’s Eye View was released in 2015 as a tribute to the life of this notable 206 artist. After a voicemail intro, the album begins with the orchestral “Lift Off,” produced by D-Sane and featuring scratching by Bean One. Radio-ready “Cool Wit It” featuring the T-Pain of Seattle, Roc Phizzle, is breezy and easy. The sexy “Keep It On The Hush (Remix)” puts a new lens on a sultry hit from Byrdie’s first album, Poetic Epidemic.

R&B singer Jazz Digga is featured on six different songs, and I think my favorite Jazz Digga cut is “Lord Knows I Try,” for its realism and drama. “You can’t try to hide from life,” Byrdie instructs on this somber cut. Another standout song is “Talk Of The Town” produced by Funk Daddy, and featuring rapper Livio. The album’s title track, “Byrd’s Eye View,” is the last full song on the album. D-Sane reminisces about knowing Byrdie, “since Mercer Middle School,” as he puts it.

D-Sane organized a Byrd’s Eye View release party at Nectar to celebrate Byrdie’s life in 2015. It included performances by Jazz Digga, Jewels Hunter, Certified Outfit, Clockwork, and Grynch. The whole video is available on YouTube, and I recommend checking it out. Rest in peace to Jesse “Byrdie” Watson, 1978-2013. Written by Novocaine132

Byrd's Eye View was created in and features appearances from:

Did we get it wrong? It happens. Send us an email and let's get it corrected right away!

A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Poetic Epidemic

Fresh off his enlistment as a Soldier on the second F.T.S. album, Money Motivated in 2000, Seattle musical artist Byrdie was ready to take a giant leap of his own. Having joined the Street Level family, he had VIP access to beats by D-Sane, and also tons of MCs for guest spots. Byrdie got his ducks in a row and released his first CD, Poetic Epidemic in 2001. Poetic Epidemic was a solid debut that flagged him as an artist on the rise.

The tracks cover a variety of topics, which keeps the listening interesting. An unlikely name check of a Supreme Court Justice shows up in “Dirty Politics,” with the humorous line, “I’m not arrogant, I’m just honest, Street Level Records, all my CDs sell out like Clarence Thomas.” “Lyricide” produced by Syko carries a gothic, vampire vibe, drenched in echo and reverb as though it was recorded in an actual castle. Jonathan “Wordsayer” Moore, the mayor of Seattle hip-hop, appears on “Society,” dropping a forceful verse, “for brothers out on the grind, and sisters with conscious minds.” It’s probably an uncontroversial take, but the strongest cut on Poetic Epidemic, in my opinion, is “Player’s Policy Pt. 2” produced by D-Sane, and featuring vocals from Wanz. The first version of “Player’s Policy” including Byrdie, BD, and Creep Lo appeared on Money Motivated.

Thanks to some direct action and protests, “Player’s Policy Pt. 2” actually got rotation airplay on KUBE 93 FM, Seattle’s notoriously insular pop music station. According to the excellent 2020 history text by Dr. Daudi Abe, titled Emerald Street, “the tension that had been growing between KUBE and the local hip-hop community eventually came to a head in the spring of 1997.” The movement was led by Seattle hip-hop artists including Silver Shadow D who felt like they had no chance of being on the radio in their own city. Thanks to their efforts, over the next few years KUBE made some adjustments, allowing for “Player’s Policy Pt. 2” to get on the air and become a hit in 2001.

Byrdie has the intangibles that can carry a rapper to the top of the pack. His flow is airtight, with literally no space between the syllables. This is basically a modern flip of iambic pentameter, a written style worshipped for centuries. Very few artists ever climb to this level of lyrical altitude, and with his golden voice, the words just roll off his tongue. But Byrdie fans would have to be patient, for there would still be three more years of waiting before Byrdie would drop his true masterpiece, 2004’s N Flight. Written by Novocaine132

Poetic Epidemic was created in and features appearances from:

Did we get it wrong? It happens. Send us an email and let's get it corrected right away!

A film about Northwest hip-hop from

N Flight

Seattle rapper Byrdie dropped his debut CD in 2001 titled Poetic Epidemic. Guest appearances on tracks by Skuntdunanna and Unexpected Arrival kept Byrdie’s name in the spotlight, and by 2004 he was ready to put out his second album, the epic N Flight. His manager at the time was none other than Jonathan “Wordsayer” Moore from Jasiri Artist Management. During this era, Wordsayer was the unofficial “Mayor of Seattle” to nearly all hip hop figures in the town.

With maybe the exception of The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, N Flight is one of the most mainstream albums to ever emerge from the Seattle rap scene. Byrdie was clearly courting pop success with this body of work, and somewhat rejecting his Street Level Records roots in gangsta rap. The first song “B.Y.R.D.I.E.” is ready for radio. Produced by Vitamin D, the song is solid and funky to a high degree. The reliable “All Out” by Bean One might be my favorite cut on the album. It is a basic but effective party track, and I can’t lie, the chorus gets me hyped.

“I Wanna Know” featuring Darius Willrich is about commitment in relationships, and Byrdie weaves a vividly textured story. Keeping it in the emotion zone is “Move On” featuring singer Choklate, which is about the struggles of growing up, and facing the results of the choices we make. Both “I Wanna Know” and “Move On” are produced by Sekken Thaughtz, who went on to make beats for Clockwork’s debut album in 2006. As evidenced throughout N Flight, Byrdie had a Tupac-like ability to describe complex situations in lyrically poignant verses. The feel-good “Wanted” is a smash hit featuring Reggie Watts. It’s a sweet innocent love song to a crush, “the prettiest girl in my classroom.” This one will be in your head forever.

Not everything here is a hit, unfortunately. For example, directionless “Scattin’” recycles a line from “B.Y.R.D.I.E.” which lessens the punch of both songs. “The Ways Of The World” is a little too self-serious and politically on the nose for me to enjoy it. The most intense track on N Flight is the autobiographical “Where Were You…” in which Byrdie addresses his estranged father. Byrdie had a wild ride to the top of the Seattle rap scene. His Big-Pun-esque voice, combined with a charismatic heart of gold, carried him far. He battled cancer for years, and in 2013, Jesse “Byrdie” Watson finally passed away at the age of thirty-five. Written by Novocaine132

N Flight was created in and features appearances from:

Did we get it wrong? It happens. Send us an email and let's get it corrected right away!

A film about Northwest hip-hop from

B.Y.R.D.I.E.

Seattle emcee Byrdie released this 12″ back in 2004, along with his album N Flight. Boasting production from the legendary Vitamin D and Bean One, this sampling of what the album has to offer is head-nodding and infectious.

The A-Side, “B.Y.R.D.I.E.”, with its minimal and angular beat, gives Byrdie’s flow ample room to slither and wrap itself around the corners. The B-Side, “Scattin'”, is more of a high-energy club cut. Layers of horns, percussion, vocal samples, and synth lines jump around, with Byrdie shouting to be heard over the cacophony. Entertaining stuff from this Northwest stalwart. Besides album cuts, instrumentals and acapellas are included as well. (This review originally appeared on the Bring That Beat Back blog and was written by Jack Devo.)

B.Y.R.D.I.E. was created in and features appearances from:

Did we get it wrong? It happens. Send us an email and let's get it corrected right away!